Finance Business Partner

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The University’s Department of Finance develops and implements dynamic and future-focused financial strategies to support the University’s aims, whilst maintaining sound financial oversight and administration in managing the University’s financial affairs.

We have specialist finance teams providing dedicated support in functional areas and business partnering teams aligned to faculties and central professional service departments.

As Finance Business Partner, aligned to the Faculty of Science, you will be directly involved in the provision of sound financial advice and support to departments, ensuring the effective management and monitoring of a range of departmental funds including operational budgets, research projects and other external activities. This will include budgeting, monitoring, reporting and forecasting routines to both internal and external stakeholders as well as month end, quarter end and year end routines.

You will have oversight of a portfolio of large, complex activities and will need to be comfortable in making decisions and reacting to changing and conflicting priorities. You will manage a small group within the faculty team and will also regularly engage with other finance and non-finance teams.

• Work with academic schools and the Faculty to provide finance support and information, ensuring that the Faculty’s financial plan is sustainable and financial risks are identified, understood and managed.
• Provision of expert financial support, guidance and management information, with responsibility for excellent customer service across the Faculty.
• Prepare accurate income and expenditure forecasts on a monthly and quarterly basis and as required, including analysis and explanation of variances against budget/forecast with recommendations for action or mitigation where appropriate.
• Prepare quarterly and year-end reconciliations as required, including reserves and other provisions. Co-ordinate year-end procedures, ensuring these are communicated and effectively implemented across departments.
• Provide information and advice regarding budgetary control and activity forecasting across all types of external income (both research and other external funding), identify and offering solutions to minimise areas of potential risk or conflict with University financial regulations.
• Review and/or prepare financial expenditure statements or award claims for all types of external funding (for example, research) as required in conjunction with relevant departmental staff. Co-ordinate the external audit of financial returns prior to submission to funders as required, providing auditors with relevant information and being the point of contact throughout the audit process.
• Support and enable Finance staff to work to the highest professional standards and encouraging a culture of continuous professional development.
• Leading colleagues in the continual challenge to activities and processes, and identification and delivery of improvement in order to maximise effectiveness.
• Have oversight of and plan, in collaboration with other Finance Business Partners and the Faculty Finance…